Mechanism for operating station-indicators



. (No Modem- J. KNIGHT.

MEOIIANISM TOR OPERATING STATION INDICATORS. A No. 394,074. Patented Dec. 41888.

N. PETERS. Fhmo-Lnhognplwr. wnhngmm D. C.

UNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN KNItrl'l'l, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR 'lO THE PACIFIC INDICATOR COMPANY, OF CALIFORNIA.

IVIECHANISM FOR OPERATING STATION-INDICATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 394,074, dated December 4, 1888.

Application tiled May 4, 1888. Serial No. 272,825. (No model.)

lo all 'whom it muy con/earn.-

Be it known that I, JOHN KNIGHT, of the city and county ot San Francisco, State of Oalifori'iia, have invented an Improvement in Station-Ilulicators; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact. description of the same.

My invention relates to the class of indieaters for use in the cars of street and other railways, for the purpose of desig'imting' successive streets or stations and presenting' to view at the same time any suitable advertising' or display matter.

My invention consists, generally, in the novel mechanism t'or operating' the indicator, and particularly in the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, whichI shall hereinafter fully describe.

The object of my invention is to provide for a simple and effective mechanism for transmitting' to the indicating apparatus the power derived by contact with a iixed obstruction in the roadway, and yet so modify the power in strength and time of transmission as to render its application noiseless and without suddenness or jar.

Referring' to the accompanying' drawing', the iig'ure is a side elevation of my device, the cylinder B being shown in section.

A is the fioor of the car, upon which is secured an air-cylinder, B, having` in one end an inward]y-opening' valve, 7), and a regulating' air-cock, (I. \\'ithin the cylinder a piston, D, operates, the rod (7 of which passes through the other end of the cylinder and carries upon itl an actuating-spring', E, whose tension is regulated by the sliding' collare. It will now be seen that if a pull be made upon the end of the piston-rod C7 air will be drawn into the cylinder through valve b, and the spring' E will be compressed. As soon as the pull is relieved, the spring will move the piston D back; but this movement instead of being' sudden may be perfectly graduated as to time by properly handling' the air-cock O to control the air-cushion within the cylinder. This movement of the piston-rod is transmitted to the indicating' apparatus by the following' mechanism:

The indicating' device, forming no part of this application, is here simply shown in outline as a box, F, having' an operatiiig-pulley, f, from which a chain, j", extends.

G is a shaft having' on one end a sprocketpulley, g, for the ohainf. This shaft also carries a disk, ll, from the face ot' which project pins 7i. l`pon the piston-rod d is a block, I, having' pivoted to it a trip-arm, i, one side of the base ol' which is curved and the other is straight, whereby said arm may move on its pivot in one direction only. A spring', zf, returns the arm to an upright position. Now when the pull is made on the piston-rod the tri p-arni is carried along' with it, and coming in contact with one of the pins 7L, which stands in its path, it simply yields on its pivot to pass the pin without affecting' the position ot' the disk ll; but when the pull is relieved and the arm comes back with the g'rzulual,ly-returning rod it again comes in contact with the pin 7e, and in this direction it cannot yield. It therefore carries the pin before it, thus moving', at the speed and with the power desired, the disk I'l, and through it the shaft G, and transmitting' the motion through the chain f to the indicating,` apparatus. 'lhis continues any leng'th of time, according' to the proper control of the air-cushion, as described, and at the end the arm pushes the pin 71 up out of the way, but brings the succeeding' pin into its path for the repetition of the op( ration. In order to accurately check and hold the disk l-I in the position to which it is moved, I project from the face ofthe pulley g the pins 7i', which engage a fixed notched spring', 712, at the end of each movement ot the disk. The tension of this spring' is sufcient to check undue momentum of the disk and to hold it steady until operated.

Power is transmitted to operate the pistonrod bythe following' mechanism: In the roadway is a fixed lug' or obstruction, Z, in the shape of an inclined plane. Such a lug' is placed atsuitable intervals along' the road. Pivoted at to the truck a of the car is a bracket, J, the other end of which is supported and can be adjusted by a depending' rod, K, secured above to the car or a fixed frame and having' an adjusting-mit, 7.', on its IOO - piston-rod d above.

top. This rod is encircled by a spring, k', which bears down on the bracket and serves to return and hold it in proper position. Mounted on a shaft, Z,in bracket J is a chainpulley, L, from which the chain Z passes up and over suitable directing-pulleys to the end of the piston-rod (l, to which it is secured.

Fixed to the side of the pulleyL is a sector, M, the rim of which projects beyond the rim of the pulley. The spring k is so adjusted as to press down the bracket, (primarily adjusted by the rod IL) so that the sector M shalhbe held well down to the plane of the obstruction Z in the roadway. `When it comes in contact with this obstruct-ion, the contact, though a yielding one, and consequently without jar, is sufficient to effect the movement of the sector and thus partially rotate the pulley L, which through the chain Z pulls on the The contact of the sector with the obstruction is so timed that the former is turned to its end by the time the end of the latter is reached; but this need not be accurately determined, for if the obstruction be too long it is obvious that the motion of the sector will cease upon its end being reached, and it will simply drag the remainder ot the way on the obstruction; b ut the length of the arc of the sector determines the desired amount of movement to be given to the pistonrod above. As soon as the sector is free of the Obstruction, the return movement of the piston-rod turns it back to position again, this position being defined and limited by a slot, m, on the sector coming in contact with the bracket J.

Although I have herein described and illustrated but a single set ot these devices, it will readily be seen that in practice a double set is needed, so that the indicator may be operated in reverse manner upon the return trip oi' the car. I need only say, therefore, that in practice I would have a second air-cylinder with its piston-rod and connections, and a second disk, such as A, with its pins, a second set of iixed obstructions,sectors, pulleys, and connecting-chains, all so arranged as to operate in the reverse direction. One set is therefore inoperative when the other set is working. This second but reversed set oi' devices I have not deemed itnecessary to illustrate, as the arrangement is obvious and customary in this class ot mechanism in one form or another.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a station-indicator, the Vreciprocating rod d, operated by fixed stops in the road and connections between said stops and pistonrod, and the pivoted trip-arm carried by the rod and arranged to move on its pivot in one direction only, in combination with the disk having pins projecting into the path of the trip-arm, whereby said disk is turned on its axis, transmitting-connections from the disk to the indicating apparatus, and the means for controlling the movementof the rod in one direction, for the purpose described, consisting of the valved cylinder having the con- 7o trolling-cock and the piston Within the cylinder on the end of the rod, substantially as herein described.

2. In a station-indicator, the reciprocating rod d, operated by fixed obstructions in the road and connections between said stops and piston-rod, the spring for returning the rod, and the pivoted trip-arm carried by the rod and arrangedV to move on its pivot in one di-` rection only, in combination with thedisk 8O having pins projecting into the path of the trip-arin, whereby said disk is turned on vits axis, transmitting-connections from the disk to the indicating apparatus, and the means for controllin g the movement ot' the rod when 8 5 returned by the spring, consisting oi the valved cylinder having the controlling-cock and the piston within the cylinder on the end of the rod, substantially as herein described.

In a station-indicator, the indicating ap- 9o paratus, an air-cushion, with its piston and piston-rod, and the mechanism for receiving motion by contact with a iixed obstruction in the roadway, and transmitting-power con sistin g of the pulley suspended by a bracket from 9 5 the car, the sector connected with the pulley and arranged to roll on the'obstruction, the stop m on the sector, whereby the return of the pulley is limited and defined by contact with the bracket, and a connection between 10o the pulley and piston-rod, substantially as herein described. n

4r. In a station-indicator, the combination of the indicating apparatus, the air-cushion,with

its piston and piston-rod, andthe mechanism for receiving motion by contact with a iixed obstruction in the roadway, and transmittingpower consisting of the chain-pulley suspended from the car, a chain leading from the pulley to the piston-rod, and the sector se- 11o cured to or formed with the pulley and arranged to roll on the obstruction, substantially as herein described.

5. In a station-indicator, the combination,

with the indicating apparatus, the air-cushion, with its piston and piston-rod, of the bracket pivoted at one end to the car-truck, the adjustable rod supporting its other end, and the controlling-spring around the rod, the

chain-pulley carried bythe bracket, the chain 1 2o passing from the pulley to the piston-rod, .the sector carried by the pulley and arranged to come in contact with and to roll on a fixed obstruction in the roadway, and the stop on the sector for limiting the return of the sector and pulley, substantially as herein described. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN KNIGHT. Titnessesz S. H. NoURsE, H. C. LEE. 

